WHOA! 700 new apts coming to det. UA THEATER, Fort wayne, eddystone reno's among them

[Vitalis]

I have it on good authority that the UA auditorium will become parking for the residents and businesses of the UA building. It will be gutted like its neighbor theater on Bagley. Both theaters are a loss to the community, but with the Fillmore, the Fox, the Opera House, the Masonic and the Fisher [[and soon Little Caesars) pulling in stage events like a black hole, what price restoration, of the UA and Michigan theaters?

[bust]

I have it on good authority that the UA auditorium will become parking for the residents and businesses of the UA building. It will be gutted like its neighbor theater on Bagley. Both theaters are a loss to the community, but with the Fillmore, the Fox, the Opera House, the Masonic and the Fisher [[and soon Little Caesars) pulling in stage events like a black hole, what price restoration, of the UA and Michigan theaters?

I greeted Chris Ilitch's recent announcement of their development plans with cautious optimism. Maybe new leadership will end the shameful neglect that characterized the Ilitch family's approach to their vast real estate holdings.

But having witnessed that shameful neglect, and knowing the Ilitch family's long history of big promises and failing to deliver, except only those aspects they really want, I held back on my praise until the details emerged.

As those details emerge it looks like little has changed under Chris Ilitch.

What a terrible atrocity to put parking in the UA Theater! Please don't let that happen. It is that building's jewel, all but destroyed by its current owners.

If it happens, like the Michigan Theater, it will tell the sad story of Detroit and its amazing history first built by cars, then destroyed by cars, abetted by the selfish greed of property owners, real estate developers, and their enablers.

I'm sorry emusteve, The Ilitches are among the worst of them. The Ilitch family is responsible for the destruction and careless neglect of far more Detroit architecture and history than they have saved or created. Probably more than anyone else. You can point to a few exceptions, but their creations are overwhelmingly sports arenas and parking lots. And sports arenas, especially in a city like Detroit with bad public transit, breed parking lots like cancer.

It does not seem coincidental that this glorious announcement came right before they apparently plan to stealthily destroy more historic Detroit architecture for more parking lots. Did Chris Ilitch just try to distract us with jazz hands?

It's important to always read between the lines of every Ilitch announcement to try to discern their true intentions. So much of what they announce never happens; so much of what they actually make happen is bad for Detroit and goes unannounced.

Sadly, they have earned our distrust.

[emu steve]

I'm trying to get out of this demolition/parking lot debate.

Unless they demo all 3 buildings on that block, I don't think it makes much sense as a parking lot.

Would that half block [[Fisher/N. Henry/Cass - I see 3 buildings, not 2) might make a small parking garage???? Too small?

I'm not going to read between the lines, but if someone would ask: What do you see there in 3 years? My answer: IDK [[I don't know).

There are certain blocks ideal for office [[e.g., WSU school of business), some for a hotel [[Henry/Woodward), etc.

I have no idea what what go along the west side of Cass: parking lots, parking garage, soccer stadium, housing, enlarge Cass Park, etc.

[Gistok]

I have it on good authority that the UA auditorium will become parking for the residents and businesses of the UA building. It will be gutted like its neighbor theater on Bagley. Both theaters are a loss to the community, but with the Fillmore, the Fox, the Opera House, the Masonic and the Fisher [[and soon Little Caesars) pulling in stage events like a black hole, what price restoration, of the UA and Michigan theaters?

I don't think that the United Artists is large enough to do to it what was done to the Michigan. The Michigan was an enormous 4050 seat theatre... the UA had 1488 seats, and was small and intimate.

[Atticus]

I don't think that the United Artists is large enough to do to it what was done to the Michigan. The Michigan was an enormous 4050 seat theatre... the UA had 1488 seats, and was small and intimate.

They may not have to. The UA theater may not be structurally critical to the rest of the building... as in, it is very possible they could just tear the thing down. Then they could combine the space the theater occupies, and the adjacent land they own on the same block to the north to build a contiguous surface lot or parking ramp that would be more than big enough.

[CrashDummy]

They may not have to. The UA theater may not be structurally critical to the rest of the building... as in, it is very possible they could just tear the thing down. Then they could combine the space the theater occupies, and the adjacent land they own on the same block to the north to build a contiguous surface lot or parking ramp that would be more than big enough.

They might not even need to do that. The adjacent space to the north is large enough to fit a garage the size of the Book Cadillac's and still leave room for another building on the Tuller site.

[Gistok]

They might not even need to do that. The adjacent space to the north is large enough to fit a garage the size of the Book Cadillac's and still leave room for another building on the Tuller site.

Good point. The Tuller/UA block is larger than even the Statler block. In fact the block once housed both the old and new Tuller Hotel wings, the United Artists Building and Theatre, as well as a larger parking lot north of the UA Theatre, and a smaller parking lot between the UA Building and the Tuller Hotel.

[hybridy]

They might not even need to do that. The adjacent space to the north is large enough to fit a garage the size of the Book Cadillac's and still leave room for another building on the Tuller site.

that's lot g....they're resurfacing that now. they were moving dirt last week

[Zads07]

I'm trying to get out of this demolition/parking lot debate.

Unless they demo all 3 buildings on that block, I don't think it makes much sense as a parking lot.

Would that half block [[Fisher/N. Henry/Cass - I see 3 buildings, not 2) might make a small parking garage???? Too small?

I'm not going to read between the lines, but if someone would ask: What do you see there in 3 years? My answer: IDK [[I don't know).

There are certain blocks ideal for office [[e.g., WSU school of business), some for a hotel [[Henry/Woodward), etc.

I have no idea what what go along the west side of Cass: parking lots, parking garage, soccer stadium, housing, enlarge Cass Park, etc.

Ok, first off it doesn't have to make sense for Ilitch to put a parking lot there. The evidence is there all behind the Fox Theatre.

Give it a rest, the Ilitch's are destroying the architecture of Detroit and it's right in front of our eyes.

If they destroy the theatre at the UA, that should be all the evidence you need to at LEAST start thinking about, 'hey, maybe they aren't doing everything they can to save buildings.'

[Gsgeorge]

Also, will Harry's Bar be no longer? You can see on Google Maps it's on the corner of Henry and Clifford and that's where one of the projects is announced.

"Holdout" Harry's is still there, and will be close neighbors with the LCA and new apartments. You can see the new parking garage abutting Harry's east wall. I'd say he made the right decision, and is about to reap the benefits of sticking it out all these years.

[emu steve]

"Holdout" Harry's is still there, and will be close neighbors with the LCA and new apartments. You can see the new parking garage abutting Harry's east wall. I'd say he made the right decision, and is about to reap the benefits of sticking it out all these years.

Yes, I've raised this issue before.

Harry's will reap a great increase in foot traffic and patronage OR he'll sell out to the Ilitch org and get paid a handsome sum.

I have NO idea if the Ilitch org desires are to pay top dollar for that land or accept them as a neighbor.

They [[Ilitch org) could tear down Harry's and replace it and their parking with some kind of landscaping/plaza which 'welcomes' one to the arena area including a buffer to the new residential housing/garage along Henry.

While we are discussing Harry's: What is the status of the land between Clifford and Cass near Henry?

When one approaches N. Henry or passes it while driving north on Cass one would hope that the appearance would be inviting.

[Gistok]

Here's a CCS conceptual aerial view of "District Detroit". Although not set in concrete... it shows the area between Clifford and Cass as green space, with the 2 buildings that Ilitch's want to tear down just to the west of it. Would really hate to see them torn down... as they face that green space.

[southen]

I wouldn't put too much stock in that rendering for the green space or the two apartment buildings. Ilitch would have to buy out two liquor stores and tear them down before creating green space. The lots he owns on Grand River appear to be some weird green space as well but are in fact parking.

[Rock N Rye]

They will knock them down because those buildings, right now, look way creepier than parking lot. In the future, we'll wish those buildings were back so someone could rehab them. Just like the Statler, Madison-Lenox, Lafayette Building, and all the others.

[Atticus]

They will knock them down because those buildings, right now, look way creepier than parking lot. In the future, we'll wish those buildings were back so someone could rehab them. Just like the Statler, Madison-Lenox, Lafayette Building, and all the others.

Exactly. I have to believe that if there were plans to remodel the Cass buildings, they would have been announced. There isn't a plan, so they remain creepy until they get demo-ed. Remember that it was less than two years ago when they just tried to demo the Eddystone for no good reason. Some things never change. Prepare for another Madison-Lenox lot in their place.

[Zads07]

Something that was missed in the rendering of the UA that we should take with a grain of salt because it's just a rendering, but the Adams Theatre Building has a side to it if you look closely.

[Zads07]

Bumpign again because Olympia demolishing an old home next to the arena district. No surprise here unfortunately.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...&view=homepage

[emu steve]

Interesting. It is next to the "Five million dollar house."

"In the document, the vacant house is said to be 2,644 square feet. According to city records, its assessed value is $7,100.It is next to a rundown two-story house at 2712 Cass Ave. that has been listed for $5 million in recent months."

Interesting, FWIW, the street numbers do not agree with the labels from Google Maps.

Google Maps has different house numbers and has the street as Clifford, not Cass.

[CrashDummy]

I wouldn't put too much stock in that rendering for the green space or the two apartment buildings. Ilitch would have to buy out two liquor stores and tear them down before creating green space. The lots he owns on Grand River appear to be some weird green space as well but are in fact parking.

It looks like they have been sold, just not to the Ilitches.
http://www.detroitnews.com/story/bus...ale/102676712/

[gthomas]

I wouldn't put too much stock in that rendering for the green space or the two apartment buildings. Ilitch would have to buy out two liquor stores and tear them down before creating green space. The lots he owns on Grand River appear to be some weird green space as well but are in fact parking.

Where the stadium liquor store stands, hopefully to be torn down. It could be a nice Little Ceasar Arena signage/gateway entrance the District, seen from the freeway. Of course surrounded by nice landscaping.

[emu steve]

Where the stadium liquor store stands, hopefully to be torn down. It could be a nice Little Ceasar Arena signage/gateway entrance the District, seen from the freeway. Of course surrounded by nice landscaping.

Am I reading this correct:

The grand design was for green space between Clifford and Cass. The presumption is that Olympia Development would be able to acquire both liquor stores, one open and one closed.

So it appears both have been sold both to the same entity but not Olympia Development.

What values are those two properties to anyone other than green space or as a liquor store.

Or could the closed liquor store be torn down and another commercial establishment placed there?

Do they plan [[hope) to 'flip' the two properties to Olympia Development expecting for a nice profit? Three holdout properties, with one of the houses on Cass south of Temple being the other.

If sales to Olympia Development not happen and we have what we have now [[I assume stadium liquor would be torn down and something put up there, but Paul's Place stays?).

[Zads07]

Confirmation from Olympia they want to tear the two buildings down.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...&view=homepage

[southen]

Such a garbage organization.

[Gistok]

Preservation Detroit will be packing the City Council meetings when this comes up.

Is it really necessary to continue the decimation of buildings at the north end of downtown, by spreading the parking lot "cancer" into Midtown? [[see redlines for buildings in question)....

[Honky Tonk]

Good ol' Mike Ilitch. Reaching out from beyond the grave, making Detroit great again.